Daughter of the Forest of Fire
by EarthFae
Summary: Anesca is a foreigner in the lands of the desert following her master in search of a myth, but crossing paths with a ruthless and power hungry prince could change the future of the entire world. First chapter in Villain's pov.
1. Prince of Darkness

Red was the color of power. Amir had realized that long ago. It was the color that the man spilled when he made his first kill at the age of ten and the color that all men who followed spilled. It was the color of fire...the element he always wanted instead of his darkness element. But then how could he complain about the power to go into the minds and souls of men and completely obliterate them leaving them without a thread of sanity intact.

He remembered when he first obliterated a person's mind. It was related to the color red as well. He was in the playrooms of one of his half-sisters from his father's concubines, and he spotted. A princess doll that he instantly recognized as a forest girl with her white skin, green eyes, and clothing. But something was different about this doll. Its hair was red. Most dolls of forest girls he had seen had yellow hair, or sometimes black hair like a desert girl.

He went over to this doll and picked it up and began to stroke its red hair in wonder. He was so lost in it that he didn't notice the nurse coming from behind him until the doll was plucked from his hands.

"Prince Amir!" He heard the shrill nurse cry. He looked up at her angrily for taking the doll away from him.

"Boys, especially crowned princes, should not play with princess dolls, or any kind of girl toy." She scolded him. He did not react, visibly to this.

"Why does the princess have red hair." He asked calmly, as he got up.

"Because she is a forest princess and some forest girl's have red hair." She stated in an annoyed tone. He then held out his hands for the doll.

"Then give her to me, if she has red hair then she is my princess." The nurse shook her head.

"No." She snapped. "Suddenly, the young prince's face turned to fury.

"Give me my princess, now." The nurse turned to leave, but the rage over having his princess taken from him bubbled over in absolute madness. Suddenly black tendrils shot from him and into the nurse's head and she gave a blood curdling scream. She dropped to the floor, foaming at the mouth. He paid no attention to this and calmly went to pick up the fallen princess and sat down to play with her.

He never understood why the adults were so upset to find this scene later and the look of fear in their eyes when he explained what he had done. Everyone had looked at him with fear. Everyone that is...except his..father. He had smiled proudly.

"For the first time in half a millennium a royal son of the desert has been born with the powers of darkness! Not even light can match the power of darkness! Nothing is more powerful than darkness." He laughed and smiled at his son as he went over his plans that he-his son-would one day rule all the seven desert kingdoms, even the western ones.

"But what about the forests?" He asked his father.

"What about them?" His father seemed annoyed that his son was bothering him despite his joy being over his son's powers.

"Why stop at the deserts? Why can't I rule the forest as well?" His father gave a hmpf at that.

"The forest? Those primitive savages have nothing to offer us. The desert is where power lies, my son." Amir just stared at his father.

"I want more than the desert. I want to conquer the oceans, the mountains, the rivers, wetlands, plains, and jungles." For once in his life his father was speechless.

"Amir, my son, I am proud by your desire to conquer and lead, but taking over the world." He gave a chuckle. "That will get you killed." He stared at his father.

"But you said nothing was nothing was more powerful than darkness. So why shouldn't I be the most powerful man in the world." His father shook his head.

"You will understand the world is much bigger than you think, my son. Now go rest. Your training will begin tomorrow." Amir nodded and turned.

At that moment, at age eight, he knew without a doubt that he would, before his eighteenth birthday, have to kill his father in order to take his throne and start out his military conquest.

After all the world was big, as father said. If you wanted to conquer it you had to start early. To his credit, his father is true to his word and he begins his training the next day.

As he mentioned before, his first kill was at tender age of ten. His father didn't have a hand in it. The kill was completely on his free will and doing. It was some noble from the third desert kingdom (his father ruled the fourth) and the politics were complicated, he understand and knew this man greatly unnerved his father. He also threatened the stability of the Fourth Kingdom of the desert.

So Amir decided to kill two birds with one stone, as the children passed the Eastern mountains would say. One night he used his darkness powers to cloak himself in complete and utter darkness and sneak out of his room. He used his darkness powers to silence his feet and his senses to dodge guards in the dark.

His teachers didn't know about this power.

Amir knew even then that it was always better to keep your best cards close to your chest.

He kept his silent and deadly course as he made his way to the man of the Third Kingdom's room. Years later, Amir would not be able to recall his name and barely his face. All he knew was that this man needed to be dead. He waited for the guard to pass the room on his patrol before he entered it.

When inside her shuts the door and uses his darkness to cloak the entire room. No one would hear anything outside this room. He unsheathes the dagger and walks toward his sleeping victim and father's rival.

He is struck by how frail and weak this man is. His cane is in the corner. In truth his outside reflects the inside. The man is not powerful on his own. He truly has no crown, titles, armies, or riches that was truly tied to his name. He only gained them threw family favors and charming the right people. Amir now became truly disgusted by him.

He vowed to never be that weak. Without another thought of changing his mind. He uses his darkness to bind the man and give him one stab in the heart. He hears him screaming and begging, but he pays no heed. He does not see the need for more than one stab to do it. He will die from blood lost soon enough and too many stab wounds would make this look like a crime of passion than the simple ransacking that he wanted to make it look like.

He looks at the blood spilling out from the frail man's open heart wound and a strong part of him wants the red blood. He wants to _feel _it. He wants to _taste it_. He wants to _wash _himself in it. But he can't afford to get his hands dirty, so he goes about his business in wrecking the room. However he needs to take something. So he takes the royal crest of the Third kingdom and slips it into his pocket. That could fetch a good price on the Dune market.

That's what they'll think anyway. As for what he'll really do with it...he has an idea, but it will take patience and his plans going as he wants them too.

He leaves the ransacked and bloody room without a speck of dirt or blood on him. The only evidence of his crime being the crest in his pocket. He leaves the room with his cloak of darkness still around him and sneaks back into his own chambers under its cover. He lays the crest in a secret place beneath a loose stone on the wall, under his bed, that only he knows about. He knows because he has left things there before (as a test) and no servant ever found them.

After his guilt is hidden. He looks up at the Forest Princess on his mantle and places a kiss on her soft forehead.

"Everything I want will be mind. I will just have to have patience. I know that is what I need." He gives her one last kiss before going to bed. The next morning he is awakened by guards coming into his room, warning him of an assassin being loose in the palace.

He feigns the act of being a frightened child while the proof of his guilt is barely hidden from their eyes. It takes several days for the palace to calm down...when they finally think they have the traitor in their mists. A common guard. Now Amir knows the most critical part of his plan is before him. He takes the undisturbed crest from under his bed and buries it in his pocket.

He knows that the guards won't let him through, but luckily the guard has relaxed enough so the hallways aren't full of them. He can easily maneuver under his cloak of darkness and makes his way to his father's chambers. He stows into his father study when an adviser enters it. The darkness masks his footsteps as he moves into a corner and waits patiently for his father and his guest to finish their business with each other.

Once the adviser leaves, Amir spreads out an invisible cloak of darkness throughout the room that only his eyes would be able to see. No one would be able to enter or hear anything from the outside. He wanted to keep as much of his power hidden from his father as he could. Always keep your best cards close to your chest, he reminds himself.

Then he appears and walks up to his father who was currently hunched over his desk, looking over papers. He says nothing until his father finally peers up and jumps back at the sight of his son. Obviously startled that he could enter without him realizing it.

"How did you get in?" He questions his son.

"The guard is innocent, my Sire." He tells him, ignoring his question.

"How do you know, my son?" His father furrows his thick brows in confusion, "He is the only one who could have done it. He was the only guard there." Without another word, he pulls out the crest of the Third Kingdom and lays it on his desk. His father can't catch his words and Amir uses this chance to speak.

"I did it for you father...and our people." He lies. Amir did it for himself. He will not lie to himself about that. In winning a battle it is better to know yourself than your enemy. He knows very well that he is selfish, but has no problem with it.

His father tenderly picks up the crest and holds it, shuddering. Amir continues.

"He was going to cause trouble with our people and with you. I was tired of seeing him mock us. He was frail and a coward who used his position to abuse us all." He looks away with a false expression of regret. "I never expected an innocent man to go in my place." He lies again. Amir is proud of how he is able to lie with such ease. He looks back at his father. "I will face any punishment you deem deserving of me." He then looks down, and makes a tear go down his face.

His father doesn't say another word, not before coming around the desk, and scooping his child up in his arms. Amir leans against his father's shoulder and smirks for a moment. He knew very well that his father couldn't kill him. He is the heir, their greatest weapon, and not to mention the scandal it would cause.

"My son...I am so proud of you." His father's voice sounds like it is about to break into tears. He hugs his father's neck, not able to hide his smile, but removes it when his father sits him down.

"But you know I cannot reveal the truth. You are the heir of the Fourth Kingdom and if they found out you killed one of their nobles it could mean war." Then he shakes his head. "No it _would_ mean war."

"But father what about the guard?" He says feigning concern. In truth as long as he is free he doesn't care about the guard.

"I will fake his execution and then send him off to another kingdom. Do not worry, son." Amir smiles at his father, as though he is relieved at the news.

"But...the fact you were able to sneak passed the guards...shows a lot of promise. But how did you do it?" Amir has prepared an answer.

"The darkness conceals all." He said, "Especially at night." He doesn't want his father to realize just how powerful he is until the killing blow. He can easily use his power to conceal himself during the day, but his father doesn't need to know it at all.

"So you cloaked yourself." His father guesses, partly correct. Amir nods strongly. His father already knew he could cloak himself.

"This is very good son. You can do a lot of good for the kingdom." Amir smiles. He knows, like him, that his father is selfish. He will use the 'good of the kingdom' as a mask for his own ambition. Not that Amir cares. A selfish ruler is easier for his purposes. He and his father then have a long talk. From that day forward he becomes his father's personal assassin and spy.

Amir agrees to this, but smile as he leaves. How little does his father know that this will turn on him in the worse way.

For the next seven years he kills so many men that he begins to lose count. Rumors spread throughout the desert about an underground guild of assassins. They have no idea that all these crimes are being committed by a boy, who has not yet reached manhood. He spies also and learns countless information and the games of politics. He occasionally suicides a woman, but he always kills her soon after. The desert woman with their black hair offer nothing to him, but a fleeting pleasure to him. He still wants his red haired princess. He secretly still has the doll, but hidden now.

He is told that he has grown strong and handsome over the years. He is glad for that, not out of personal vanity, but because people can be more easily fooled by a handsome man. His allows his black hair to grow to his shaven chin.

One day, he hears of a scholar coming to see his father. This offers little interest to him because he is not likely going to be a target of assassination, or spying. However, it is a boring day in the palace and he spends his time in sparing practice, but there is someone watching on the balcony. Judging by their height a woman, one barely into womanhood. Her head is covered by a scarf and her face is too faraway to make out. It is unusual for a woman to watch a sparing match, but not forbidden.

He shakes it off as a simple curiosity.

He is fighting against Raheem, an air mage. In truth, Amir hates sparing. He has to hold back so much so that no one will suspect him of how powerful he is. He knows he most have his enemies underestimate him. Raheem is one of the strongest fighters in the Fourth Kingdom, so he must make it look like he is struggling. At full strength he could end this fight in moments, but he must drag it out. Once he decides it has gone on long enough, he makes a streak of darkness that is so strong that it knocks Raheem out of the Raheem.

"Prince Amir is the winner!" Shouts their master. He walks over to his fallen partner and helps him up. Raheem smiles at him, showing no anger at losing. Raheem thinks that he is Amir's best friend and Amir likes it that way. He needs to look like he cares about others. It makes it easier for others to serve his purposes.

"Looks like you win this one, your highness." Raheem says as he gets up with a laugh. Amir will sometimes let Raheem win so that people will think they are evenly matched. He must hide his strength until the time is right. He will kill his father within a year's time. He barely pays attention to the footsteps coming down the stars as Raheem makes small chat with him.

"You let him win." Comes a feminine voice, but it is different it has a thick forest accent to it. He pauses. It couldn't be...could it. He turns around.

Her hands are folded across her chest and her stance his bold. His breathe catches in his throat. Her pale skin, green eyes, and accent. It is clear she is a daughter of the forest. But could she have...dare he hope?

Raheem gets a chance to speak before him.

"No, he didn't, girl. You have a lot of nerve coming in here and accusing the crowned prince as such a thing. Especially as a woman and a foreigner." Raheem glares at her, but the forest girl doesn't bulge. Raheem stares at her.

"You just entered womanhood. You should be looking for a husband instead of watching fights." Amir more carefully stares at her. Raheem is right, she looks as though she is in her early teens.

"I will take no husband of the desert." She states, firmly.

"Then go back to the Forest." Raheem spats, crossing his arms over his chest. The forest girl simply shakes her head.

"I have a loyalty to my master, a man of the desert. There is nothing for me in the forest." Amir blinked was she a slave? He knew that the forest people did practice slavery(as most cultures), but they rarely sold their slaves, especially the women, to outsiders. Raheem was about to say something, but the prince stepped forward.

"Remove your scarf." He tells the forest girl. She gives him a stubborn stare and makes no moment to follow his orders.

"Why should I?" She asks. Raheem has no had enough of this foreign woman.

"You dare disobey the crowned Prince of the Fourth Kingdom? You shame your master." At the mention of her master the girl's eyes softened. So her loyalty to her master is more than talk. The prince stores this in the back of his mind for later use. She reaches up with her hands and pulls down the scarf.

Amir's breathe catches in his throat and probably for the first time in his life he is speechless.

Red hair...gorgeous red hair. Like the princess he always imagined. She had come to life and was standing before him. But this woman gave no demure stature or look. She was proud and strong, it only whetted his appetite for the young girl.

"You look at me as though you want to devour me whole." The girl states. Raheem gives a sound of disgust, but Amir holds his hand out to signal him to stop. He smirks at the red head. He is liking her more and more. She is observant, smart, and blunt. It has been so long since he really had a challenge.

"Will you do me the honor of stating your name, age, and name of your master?"

"My name is Anesca, I am thirteen years old, and my master's name is Medhi of the Seventh kingdom of the desert." So she is thirteen, a year away before she can be married or made a legal sex slave. But her age matters little to Amir. He wants her and that is it. Medhi...it takes Amir a second to remember the name.

"So your master is the scholar that is meeting with my father."

"Yes, your highness." She says, surprisingly without sarcasm. Raheem can't be held back any longer

"If your master knew how you were speaking to the prince you would disgrace him." Anesca frowns at this and lowers her head.

"Forgive me, your highness, Amir, Prince of the Fourth Kingdom of the desert." She doesn't say it reluctantly, but speaks with sincerity. But he knows it is not for him. It is her loyalty to her master that makes her apologize.

"You should do it on your knees." Raheem spats at her. Amir is proud of his 'friend's' loyalty to him, but right now it is unneeded. Before she can begin to get on the floor, Amir signals her to rise.

"There is no need for that Raheem. She has apologized. I have no desire to humiliate a young girl any further." He looks to his friend.

"Go rest and eat. I would like to speak to this young woman alone." Raheem gives a concerned look, but doesn't dare to disagree with his prince. He goes, leaving him and the red head are alone. She stares at him with her green eyes. She doesn't say anything, as she waits for him to make the first move.

"Are you hungry?" He gently asks. Anesca now looks confused and thinks for a moment. "Well?" He repeats.

"A little." She admits, "We just arrived and we didn't have breakfast." He comes out to her and with tenderness takes her hand. His brown skin contrasts with her white. He gives her an encouraging smile.

"Come with me and I will get you some tea and something to told you over. I promise nothing more." She is silent and he can tell she is thinking. Trying to think of a way to get out of dining with him.

"It would do your master a great honor for you to eat with the crowned prince." He tells her with a false smile. For a moment she looks up and glares. He has found her weakness. Her master. They both know it and they both know Amir plans to exploit it to his full advantage. She gives him a reluctant nod and he leads her away.

He can feel her reluctance, but he doesn't care as much as he should. He is so excited that he is losing control. He fights to regain it. He will need control if he wants to get this girl into his bed. He leads Anesca to a smaller sunlit room with a divan and table. He invites her to sit down first, since he is a gentlemen. She sits down, but he can sense the hesitation within her. She is on the edge, and it is his job to relax her.

He finds a passing servant to bring them tea and simple fare. He turns back to the red head and reads her body language. It is all closed in. He feet and legs are together. Her hands are crossed in her lap and her shoulders are tensed. It is beyond obvious that she does not want to be here. He needs to relax her if he wants to seduce her.

He has never had to resort to rape, not because he is incapable of it. But because he is too proud to have to use force when he can easily seduce.

He sits on the other side, so he can intimidate her less. He looks at her. She is looking down, not making eye contact. It is not so bad. This gives him a view of her luscious red hair. He says nothing. The prince can tell something is about to boil over in her. The servant comes with their food and she takes the tea, but doesn't touch the food.

Finally it comes to a head.

"Why did you pretend to struggle with the fight?" She finally asks. He calmly sits his tea and lays his arm across the divan top and spreads his legs. His body language is in complete contrast to hers. He wants to show he has nothing to be afraid of because he does not.

"What makes you think I was holding back?" His voice betrays no emotion.

"Because I have watched fights all my life. Usually a fighter gets tired by the end of his fight...but-" She finally turns his green eyes onto him, "-you came alive with a style and strength you haven't been showing before."

"Hhmm..." He says as he sips his tea. "That is an interesting observation. But why would I do that?"

"That's what I was wondering." She bites her lip and hesitates for a precious seconds. "What do you have to gain and I think-I think-" He can tell she is not fully confident. "I believe you don't want people to realize how powerful you are." She is correct, but Amir does not show it in his face. "Darkness is strong, but you don't want people to realize how strong."

"Nothing is stronger than darkness." He repeats what his father always told him. Then she gives him a determined look.

"No, you are wrong...light is stronger and so are people with the elemental crystals!" She gasps and covers her mouth. Amir purposefully furrows his brows and holds back a smirk. Looks like she just said something she shouldn't have. Anesca now looks around nervously.

"Pray tell me what are the elemental crystals?" He smoothly asks, trying to hold back the delight in his voice at catching her so off-guard. "Are they a forest thing?"

"No..they are not. They are nothing just an old myth." Her voice gives away her nervousness. She can't control her emotions and voice that well. Oh she has so much to learn. He wouldn't mind taking her under his wing in exchange for payment, of course.

"Oh, it didn't sound like an old myth when you said it with such confidence and you compared it to light." He points out. He pays attention to the cup in her hands, she is moving it from one palm to another. He wonders if this is a nervous habit of hers.

"It is nothing!" She affirms, but far too strongly for it to be nothing.

"Hhmm, but out of curiosity perhaps I should ask my father's scholar's about these elemental crystals."

"No, don't!" She cries, as she hurriedly sits up, but in her haste she spells her hot tea over her. She gives a hiss of pain at the sting of the hot liquid. He quickly ceases this as an opportunity to get close to her. He graves a small towel that the servants left them with and puts his hands on her shoulder and begins to help clean her. She doesn't seem to like it, but says nothing. Her mind is too far away to care at her closeness to him.

"Tell me what the elemental crystals are so I don't have to go searching for answers myself." He whispers in her ear. The closeness of her body to him brings a stirring of arousal in him, but a repulsion in her. She moves away. He folds his arms and looks down at the thirteen year old girl.

"Well?" He asks She looks to the side, but knows this time that she can't get away with this.

"The elemental crystals are what my master, Scholar Medhi, believes were created by the original elemental mages. He has found evidence among the sacred runes to lead him to believe their existence."

"But what do they do?" He asks.

"They are suppose to increase the powers of the an mage by a hundred fold. One crystal for each element." She looks away and makes a face as though she was disgusted by what she just admitted.

"I see. So your master is going to try to convince my father to help with this research." She just nods. "I will try to convince my father to help your master if you agree to come with me on a ride tomorrow." She looks up and her mouth drops.

"It will be a group." He reassures her. "And quite a few women there." Anesca looks away.

"Fine, your highness. I will go." She says, but doesn't sound happy about it. Not that he expected her too. He takes her hand and kisses it, as per forest custom. He wonders if she will wipe his kiss off, but she doesn't.

"You may go." He tells her and he doesn't need to tell her twice because she bolts out of the room immediately.

He chuckles. Now it was time to convince his father of this mad plan.

A little darkness mind manipulation should do the trick.

**I would like to thank Carly Cuttlefish for helping me brainstorm this story. **

**I would also like to thank my regular readers for continuing their support as I go into a new genre and welcome new readers. Please tell me what you think in reviews.**

**N****ote: Most of these chapters will be told in Anesca's POV, not Amir's. It just felt it was right to start with his pov**


	2. Princess of Fire

Thanks to Elisabeth Ward for betaing

Even by the time the sun started to sink passed the dunes, Anesca still fretted over her meeting with the Prince of the Fourth Kingdom. There is something about that young man, something she didn't like. The way he had looked at her, thinking back to it made bile gather in her throat. She knew that look. Anesca knew it damn well. Back on the streets of the Forest kingdom she hailed from she knew that look very well. Growing up on the streets, disguised as a boy, she had meet her fair share of ladies of the night and day and the looks the men would give them.

It felt her with absolute disgust to be look upon like that by any man, but especially a desert man. She might be in the desert now, but she was still a daughter of the forest. A daughter of the forest did not lay with men who were not also of the forest.

"Anesca, are you listening?" Came the calm voice of the scholar. Anesca looked up at Medhi and turned red, embarrassed at being caught not paying attention to them. She bowed her head in repentance to him.

"Forgive me, master." In truth, Anesca did not need to call him master. She was not a slave, but a free woman. He was her employer and teacher, not slave master. Anesca called him master for two reasons; as a form of respect and as a way to keep people from seeking her as a bride or concubine if they thought she belonged to another man.

That was clever of her, she praised herself. However, she was not that clever when she gave away her master's secret to that damn prince today. She had cursed herself all day for that moment of passion she had given away her master's secret. Medhi always told her she had the passion and temper of her element.

"It is all right, Anesca." Came his teacher-like tone. "But how much have you been studying the history of the Seven kingdoms. Anesca felt a nervousness before answering. Of course, she knew the answer but there was always that tinge of fear she got a detail wrong. Medhi wouldn't be angry though, he would just gently correct her. But she still hated looking like a fool and wanted to impress him.

"Empress Kahina conquered the entire desert and ruled for two decades until her death. Her seven sons got into a dispute over who would inherit the empire and war broke out between the brothers. It lasted a decade and countless atrocities were done. Eventually, the brothers realized that they could not keep this fight going and split their mother's empire into seven kingdoms."

Inwardly, she cringed. She knew she had simplified the story to its barest bones and left out so much detail, but her mind had been so exhausted over worrying about being invited to that damn prince's hunt than to worry about studying.

"That is very good, Anesca." He praised her, like he always did. "But we need to go further into the details of the war between brothers."

Anesca always loved to hear Medhi's speak of history. He had a way of bringing it to life in a way she never heard a scholar to do and it even kept the forest girl's rather short attention span. They kept going on for the rest of the evening including when tea and snacks were brought for them, but finally it was time to take to sleep. Medhi stood up,

"Good night, daughter of the forest." He started to turn to leave. The redhead bit her lip, knowing she had to get it out now.

"Master, the prince has invited me to a hunt and I have excepted." Medhi turned back to her and smiled proudly.

"That is wonderful, Anesca. You have a great honor ahead of you." He looked so happy over her having the 'honor' of going on a hunt with the prince. Anesca greatly wished she could confide in her master about what she had said to the prince and the real reason she was going on the hunt, but she couldn't. She knew that Medhi was too gentle to yell and scold her, but she _despised_ the thought of him being disappointed in her. He had tried to tame her quick temper for so long. They said good night and Anesca went to bed.

Anesca always rose with the sun, and she began the day with her usual routine before breaking her fast. Making her bed, and then doing her training. The room was just big enough to do her fighting training. It wasn't as good as sparing against a real opponent. Medhi would give her proper lessons later. But she liked to keep her skills as sharp as possible. She spent an hour doing this and afterward she would wash herself before reviewing her lessons. Truth was that Anesca was not very book smart and she often had to study something many times in order for her to get it. However, it was the opposite of her fighting and mage training.

Anesca was easy to catch on topics that involved physical movement. She was a naturally restless girl and doing something was far easier for her to learn than just sitting around and reading it. The only time she really got something was if Medhi read it to her because he told history like an epic poem instead of a boring lecture. It was able to keep Anesca's attention with its excitement.

She kept reading and memorizing until it was time to break her fast with her master. She put on her head scarf and headed out. Her master was already waiting for her with book in his hands. When he heard her footsteps approach the table, he looked up and gave her warm smile.

"Good morning, Anesca." The redhead gave a bow before sitting down.

"Good morning, Master." The table had already been set, but none of the food on Medhi's plate had been touched. Since he was her elder he had the right to eat before she arrived, but Medhi was polite and always waited for her to arrive before they began. They started eating and her master began to make polite conversation about the hunt.

"I know you will be careful, Anesca. But you do know the dangers of the desert. There are creatures of legend out there. Though they are rare and some haven't been seen in years you must be careful."

Anesca personally thought it was rather silly. Yes, there were legendary beasts in the desert, but they were only spotted in isolated areas and there sightings from humans were usually decades apart. There was only a single grains chance of being found in a dune of one being spotted so close to the capital. But she wouldn't argue with her master.

"Don't worry, I will be in the woman's hunting party and they are always well guarded." A part of her inwardly sighed at the thought of being in the woman's hunting party. They really didn't hunt. They were there for to be impressed by the men who made the biggest kill and stroke his ego and of course to look pretty. Mostly, they waited and gossiped. Whether desert or forest, women loved to gossip. Anesca hated gossip. Medhi gave a smile.

"I know you are not too happy about that." He told her as he drank his hot tea, "But I think it is good for you to spend sometime with other women. It is said the loneliest women in the world are those without another woman as a friend." At this Anesca decided to protest

"I am not lonely!"

"Oh, really?" asked Medhi, calmly as he sipped his tea. "Besides me who do you really talk too?" She was stunted for a moment, as she thought.

"Well, we move so often...it is hard to get attached to someone." She tried to argue.

"But I move with you, Anesca, do I do not and every place I go I find someone to write back to. Everyday I write letters out to friends I have meet on our travels to tell them about how we are doing and they reply back with stories of their own lives. Anesca, I don't recall you ever writing a letter to anyone." The forest girl bundled her first and pressed them down into her knees, looking down, trying to think of what to say to counter his accusation. But in the end she lowered her head further in defeat. She sighed and looked back up at her master.

"You are right, master. I have never tried to make friend, or bond with anyone really."

"And why is that, Anesca?" His tone was not accusing. More of fatherly concern. Anesca searched her brain for answers.

"I don't know." She finally said, even though she knew what Medhi would say to this answer.

"I think you do know. It is just that you have not realized it yourself. Learning about ourselves helps us understand others. Many people think they are alone and different from everyone else, but inside you will be surprised at how similar most people think." It was at times like this that she both loved and hated the wisdom of her master. He was right, but at the same time she always felt different from other women and found herself more at ease among men.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Medhi gently touch her hand, and she looked up to see his kind smile.

"Anesca, I can teach you about history, science, arithmetic, fighting and magic. But one thing I cannot teach you is how to talk and relate to other people. That is something that everyone must do on their own. But it is not as impossible, or hard as you think. A simple bit of kindness and curtsey can go a long way."

Anesca was silent as she thought over this. The thought of trying to make friends was scarier than the thought of meeting a legendary beast. She often found herself coming across to harsh and off putting for most people. Growing up on the streets had hardened her. It didn't help that she was a foreigner as well.

But the fear of disappointing Medhi was far greater than trying to make a friend, or facing down a legendary beast. She looked straight at him with her green eyes with a new amount of determination on her face.

"I will do it. I will try to make friends." Medhi again gave one of his encouraging smiles.

"That is all a teacher can ask."

Medhi had to retreat to the library to work more on researching the crystals and working on a way to convince the king to agree to his proposal to look for them. This left Anesca to her own devices before she was to go to the hunting party. The green eyed girl was good at entertaining herself whether it be through training, studying, or exploring. Today she decided to go down to the stables to see the horses.

On her way out, she stopped by the kitchen to ask for a few carrots which the cook obliged her before shooing her off. With her bucket of carrots in hand she entered the stables. She always admired desert horses and their majestic beauty.

But as soon as she entered she saw that she wasn't alone. Anesca froze, there was another girl here, petting and nuzzling against a horse's head. The mysterious girl didn't seem to realize that another person had entered the stables, yet. So Anesca took the moment to study her.

She looked a few years older than her, maybe sixteen and judging from her rich outfit she was a noble. So it was likely she was a married woman...or at least a concubine. She had rich black hair and brown eyes with flicks of gold, and the warm dusty skin that accompanied a child of the desert. Oh, she was a great beauty. But did that mean she was stuck up about it?

Then the desert girl, turned and caught sight of the foreigner. She looked startled at her. Anesca guessed if it was because of her sudden appearance added to the fact she was a foreigner. The girl made a move to speak then stopped herself, before she could get the first syllable out. Anesca found this rude and thought to leave, but remembered Medhi's advice on always giving people the benefit of the doubt.

Then it occurred to her maybe the girl didn't think she could speak her language since she was a foreigner.

"I am Anesca, servant to Master Medhi." She gave the noblewoman a bow. This seemed to break the desert girl's silence. She gave the redhead a bow in return.

"I am Johara, daughter of Kareef, and wife of Maheer." Secretly Anesca hated that women always had to announce themselves in relations to their men. It was always wife of-, or sister of-, or mother of-. Even queens had to state who they were married to and their male children before they could refer to themselves as queens. Men on the other hand could use their titles without ever having to refer to their wives, sisters, daughters, or mothers.

The forest had this tradition as well, even longer than the desert. In the time of Empresses Kahina women had the most freedom and rights that the world had ever known before, or since. They could refer to themselves by their titles, own property, not be forced into marriage, or be made into sex slaves. But after the brothers had split her kingdom woman's rights were rolled back quickly. Their businesses, land, money, and saving went to their fathers, husbands, and sons and in a few kingdoms the women were barred from higher education. But they still had the right to basic schooling.

Though Anesca had to admit it was better than the Forest where it was punished by lashing for someone to teach a woman to read.

"So..." came Johara's voice. "Are you the forest girl that is going to be joining the women on the hunting party?" Anesca felt relieved at desert girl for starting the conversation. The forest girl eagerly nodded.

"Yes, I am...how did you know that?" Only the prince had known she was going.

"Prince Amir...told us that a forest girl would be joining us on the hunt. So we wouldn't be shocked at the sight of a foreigner." the beautiful girl explained.

"I see..I have never been on a desert hunt in a woman's party. I have accompanied my master on them as his servant to keep his supplies." She informed her. Anesca actually enjoyed being with Medhi for these and while he was not the best hunter, he was a good sport and Anesca enjoyed chasing after him and the rest of the party on horseback.

"That is rather unusual for a girl...especially a forest one." Anesca winced at that. While every culture in the world limited woman's freedoms, it was no secret that Daughters of the Forest were often treated the worse in the world to the point where if a woman was scene outside the home it was assumed she was a prostitute. That had been the main reason that Anesca had disguised herself as a boy when she lived on the streets.

"Yes, I know. My master found me on the streets in the Forest country and let me become his servant since then I have been traveling the desert ever since. That was about seven years ago."

"Oh..." Johara looked more at ease to know that the forest girl wasn't a complete stranger to her culture. Anesca took the bold move and stepped toward her, closing the gap, but leaving a comfortable distance for two almost strangers.

"Have you been on woman's hunts before?" She said trying to make conversation, "Like I said, I've never been." Johara gave a rather shy nod.

"It is actually very nice...you get to meet with friends you haven't seen in a while and catch up." Johara went, and Anesca suppressed a groan. Great just an excuse for silly women to gossip and talk badly about other women.

"I think you will enjoy it." Johara said, and Anesca forced a smile and nod. Johara then walked past her, "I have to go now, but when it is time for the hunt I will introduce you to the other girls." Anesca felt guilty that she did not feel as grateful as she should. Most people would be suspicious of a foreign girl in their midst, but having someone they know introduce her could her a lot and make friends like Medhi had said. But at the same time if they were suspicious of her they would probably not want to talk, or bother her. But Medhi wanted her to make friends. So Anesca barred it and smiled.

"Thank you, Johara. I will see you at the hunt."

"You too, daughter of the forest." With that the daughter of the desert left. Anesca was left to mull over her thoughts. Suddenly, a horse let out a loud neigh, and it reminded the redhead of why she was here again.

She smiled and took a carrot from her pack and began to feed it to the horse. She spent the next few hours finishing off the bucket of carrots and petting the horses. Then the doors of the stable opened and their stood several men. The must be for the hunt. They stared at her, unsure of what to make of a random foreigner in their stable.

"I am Anesca, servant of Master Medhi. I was invited to the woman's party on the hunt. One man approached,

"Oh, I heard about a forest girl joining the hunt." He said with a friendly smile, "But you are not in the right place. Come, I'll have Karim lead you to the woman's party...but first you need to clean yourself up from the stables." Anesca gave a weak smile, knowing she had stable stench on her. She gave her escort a friendly smile before she was lead away. She was taken to freshen up and wash away her stable stench before dressing in a cream colored riding dress and scarf. She was quick as possible because she didn't want to look like she was the type of woman to fuss over her looks and she also didn't want to be rude and keep Karim waiting.

She came out as quickly as she could, her still slightly damp red hair was covered by the head scarf. She thanked her escort for waiting and off they went to join the woman's hunting party. The redhead felt her stomach becoming more and more unease. She was not even this nervous for fights. Finally, they came to an open area with many women, a few men, and a lot of horses. Already some women were saddled into horses.

"Anesca!" She heard a familiar voice call she looked up to see Johara already on a horse. She felt less of a stranger here and approached. Johara was on a white and tan colored horse. She noticed some of the other desert girls were giving her looks, but none openly hostile. Well, most children of the desert weren't hostile to children of the forest, they just weren't sure how to act around them, but that was for most foreigners.

"Hello again, Johara." She greeted her acquaintance. Anesca reminded herself that she had to be on her best behavior around this girl. This would probably be her best chance at getting her a friend like Master Medhi had asked her to do. But in the back of her mind she knew that Medhi would be telling her to make friends for herself and not him.

"Do you have a horse picked out?" Asked the desert beauty, politely. At this Anesca grew nervous.

"No...was I suppose to?" had she already made a blundering error?

"You didn't have to." Johara looked to the side, "Brother!" She called out, "One of the ladies needs a horse."

She turned and her heart fell. Her expression must have matched the man before her's. There stood Raheem, the man who had spared with the prince the other day. He held the reigns of the horse in one hand and a sword hung from his belt. It was clear that he was one of the guards for the woman's party.

"I see you are pleased to see me again." Anesca said with biting sarcasm before he could speak. Then she realized that she had stabbed herself in the foot. Damn her foolishness and quick tongue. She had just insulted the brother of the woman who she had the best chance of being friends with.

"Oh, it is returned." Raheem replied back with equally matched sarcasm. He looked up to his sister. "Why is she in the hunting party." Before Johara could say another word, Anesca answered.

"Because your prince, his highness Amir, invited me." She was able to hold back her emotions enough to release a neutral, if not cold tone. She watched in amusement as the desert man's face scrunched up.

"The prince is far too kind for you, foreigner!" He spat at her. The redhead held back the urge to shake her head at the man's blindness to his so called friend's nature. One day he would pay for it. Dearly.

"Raheem! Anesca!" Came the scolding voice of Johara, and both looked up to the frowning woman in the horse.

"I can tell you both know each other and have gotten off on the wrong foot, but enough of that. I will not have either of your bickering ruin a pleasant hunt. You don't have to like each other, but at least act like civil people, not savages."

Anesca was stunned. From what little she had scene of the desert woman she had imagined her to be the typical demure noblewoman type. But it looks like she was truly silk covering steel as the saying went. The forest girl gave a real smile. Yes, she could now defiantly see herself making friends with her now. She turned to Raheem, still in her good mood and held out her hand.

"Forgive me for our past meeting. Let bygones be bygones and start anew." Her voice was light and airy. She really wanted Johara's favor now. The brother narrowed his eyes at her, as one last, but clear message.

_I don't trust you, foreign woman._

But she could care less what he really thought. Raheem took her hand and they both shook. Johara seemed pleased by this whether she could tell her brother's reluctance, or not. Something told Anesca that she did, but Johara was able to get her way with him often. At least that was the vibe that the forest girl was picking up.

Any way, Raheem gave her a horse and she saddled it and was now on eyes level with Johara.

"So the prince invited you?"The desert beauty asked.

"Yes, he did it was a great honor." She tried to make it sound as though she was excited, but even it felt flat to her ears. She defiantly wore her emotions on her sleeve.

"Did he blackmail you into it." Johara said barely above a whisper which caught Anesca's full attention. Was there also someone else in the palace who was smart enough to see through the prince's facade. She hoped to the Gods it was.

"He gave me an offer that I _couldn't_ refuse." She replied simply, and Johara gave a firm nod.

"He does that often." This confirmed to Anesca that she was not the only person not blind to the prince's charm. They gave a little chat after that mostly about small things like introducing her to other women and talking swapping stories. Johara seemed fascinated by stories of Anesca traveling with her master throughout the desert kingdoms. Anesca sensed she was also a bit envious as well. She had been coped up in a palace all her life and married at the ripe old age of fourteen. 

She continued her conversation with Johara as they entered the desert. Of course, the woman's party wouldn't travel far away from the safety of the city. Usually, Anesca would hate this, but now it meant she wouldn't have to deal with that damn prince.

An hour past and sieves of water were passed among the women. It was at times like this that the redhead truly wished she had been born a desert daughter instead of forest. Having darker skin compared to her paleness would easily be a better benefit in the hot climate of the desert. She adjusted her headscarf further to cover more of her already reddening face.

Suddenly, a rumble was heard beneath their feet, startling her horse. She quickly calmed her horse down and looked around.

"An earthquake?" She wondered out loud. But before anyone could answer. A tundra of sand and fire came burrowing out beneath the sand. Dust and smoke obscured the creature, but Anesca narrowed her eyes. The forest girl could make out the shape of a giant snake.

"Falak!" She cried! "Everyone back!" But despite her order Anesca charged ahead to the beast.

"Wait stop-" She heard Raheem cry. But She wouldn't listen. Instead she held out her left hand and made a whip of fire come out of her hand.

She was going to fight the Falak, the legendary giant snake of the desert.


End file.
